Scott Garrett is a Climate Change Denier

Rep. Scott Garrett
New Jersey

"The real question that still exists in a lot of people's minds, experts and non-experts alike, on the area of global warming and what role the government should have in this realm. ... I've heard a number of experts on both sides of the equation on this issue and to me the evidence, the question is still out there."

What climate change means for New Jersey

Superstorm Sandy devastated the New Jersey coastline in 2012, damaging an estimate 346,000 housing units and leaving 22,000 uninhabitable. Severe damage to small businesses occurred in New Jersey, with nearly 19,000 businesses sustaining damage of $250,000 or more, and total business losses estimated at $8.3 billion.

In New Jersey, there were close to 2,500 hospital admissions for asthma in 2011, with an average charge of more than $15,000 for each stay.

Changing temperature and precipitation patterns can affect the life cycle and distribution of insects, many of which transmit diseases that already pose problems to public health in New Jersey. In 2010, there were 3,320 cases of Lyme disease in the state.

Northeast states can expect more climate change related heat waves—with significantly more days above 90 degrees F—and flooding from sea level rise and extreme precipitation events. Even low-end projections anticipate that historical 100-year coastal floods will happen as often as every 22 years by the end of the century. There is $2.3 trillion of insured coastal property at risk in New York State alone. Northeasterners are already experiencing increased heavy precipitation. Extreme heat and declining air quality are expected to increase risk associated with respiratory problems and heat stress, both of which pose increasing problems for human health, especially in urban areas, and can result in increased hospitalizations and even premature death. Rising temperatures and carbon dioxide concentration increase pollen production and prolong the pollen season, increasing health risks for people with allergies. Agricultural production, including dairy, fruit, and maple syrup, are likely to be adversely affected as favorable climates shift, while the center of lobster fisheries is projected to continue its northward shift and the cod fishery on Georges Bank is likely to be diminished.